RO_ART

Art movements · Timeline

Movements of Romanian art

From the first national school of fine arts in 1864 to the Cluj painters at Venice — each chapter with its key artists.

  1. 1830 – 1900

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    19th-Century Founders

    Fondatorii picturii românești

    The generation that built a national school of art: academic history painting, the first Romanian Fine Arts schools (Bucharest and Iași, 1864), and Grigorescu's luminous plein-air landscapes inspired by Barbizon.

    Portrait of Constantin Lecca
    Constantin Lecca
    Portrait of Ion Negulici
    Ion Negulici
    Portrait of Barbu Iscovescu
    Barbu Iscovescu
    Portrait of Gheorghe Tattarescu
    Gheorghe Tattarescu
    Portrait of Mișu Popp
    Mișu Popp
    Portrait of Theodor Aman
    Theodor Aman
    Portrait of Nicolae Grigorescu
    Nicolae Grigorescu
    Portrait of Sava Henția
    Sava Henția
    Portrait of Ion Andreescu
    Ion Andreescu
    Browse 9 artists

  2. 1895 – 1945

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    Modern Masters

    Maeștrii moderni

    Post-impressionist colour, Balchik light and intimate interiors. Luchian, Pallady, Petrașcu and the 'Group of Four' gave Romanian painting its modern voice between the turn of the century and WWII.

    Portrait of Nicolae Vermont
    Nicolae Vermont
    Portrait of Ștefan Luchian
    Ștefan Luchian
    Portrait of Arthur Verona
    Arthur Verona
    Portrait of Theodor Pallady
    Theodor Pallady
    Portrait of Octav Băncilă
    Octav Băncilă
    Portrait of Gheorghe Petrașcu
    Gheorghe Petrașcu
    Portrait of Francisc Șirato
    Francisc Șirato
    Portrait of Elena Popea
    Elena Popea
    Portrait of Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck
    Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck
    Portrait of Jean Alexandru Steriadi
    Jean Alexandru Steriadi
    Portrait of Camil Ressu
    Camil Ressu
    Portrait of Iosif Iser
    Iosif Iser
    Portrait of Ion Theodorescu-Sion
    Ion Theodorescu-Sion
    Portrait of Nicolae Dărăscu
    Nicolae Dărăscu
    Portrait of Samuel Mützner
    Samuel Mützner
    Portrait of Ștefan Dimitrescu
    Ștefan Dimitrescu
    Portrait of Nicolae Tonitza
    Nicolae Tonitza
    RS
    Rudolf Schweitzer-Cumpăna
    Portrait of Dumitru Ghiață
    Dumitru Ghiață
    Portrait of Nina Arbore
    Nina Arbore
    Portrait of Olga Greceanu
    Olga Greceanu
    Portrait of Henri Catargi
    Henri Catargi
    LG
    Lucian Grigorescu
    LD
    Lucia Dem. Bălăcescu
    MS
    Margareta Sterian
    Portrait of Magdalena Rădulescu
    Magdalena Rădulescu
    Browse 26 artists

  3. 1896 – 1960

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    Baia Mare School

    Școala de la Baia Mare

    In 1896 Simon Hollósy brought his students to Baia Mare (Nagybánya), founding one of Central Europe's first plein-air colonies. For six decades painters of Hungarian, Romanian and Jewish origin worked there, bringing natural light and Maramureș landscapes into modern painting.

    Portrait of Simon Hollósy
    Simon Hollósy
    Portrait of János Thorma
    János Thorma
    SZ
    Sándor Ziffer
    Portrait of Géza Vida
    Géza Vida
    Browse 4 artists

  4. 1900 – 1970

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    Modern Sculpture

    Sculptura modernă

    From Paciurea's symbolist chimeras to Brâncuși's radical reduction of form, Romanian sculptors reshaped the medium for the whole 20th century.

    Portrait of Karl Storck
    Karl Storck
    Portrait of Ion Georgescu
    Ion Georgescu
    Portrait of Frederic Storck
    Frederic Storck
    Portrait of Dimitrie Paciurea
    Dimitrie Paciurea
    Portrait of Constantin Brâncuși
    Constantin Brâncuși
    LK
    Lidia Kotzebue
    Portrait of Ion Jalea
    Ion Jalea
    Portrait of Oscar Han
    Oscar Han
    MP
    Milița Petrașcu
    Portrait of Ion Irimescu
    Ion Irimescu
    Portrait of Ovidiu Maitec
    Ovidiu Maitec
    GA
    George Apostu
    Browse 12 artists

  5. 1910 – 1950

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    Avant-Garde & Surrealism

    Avangarda românească

    Dada was co-founded by Romanians in Zürich. In Bucharest, magazines like Contimporanul, 75HP, Integral and unu fused constructivism, Dada and surrealism; many artists then moved to Paris.

    Portrait of Arthur Segal
    Arthur Segal
    Portrait of Hans Mattis-Teutsch
    Hans Mattis-Teutsch
    Portrait of Marcel Janco
    Marcel Janco
    Portrait of M. H. Maxy
    M. H. Maxy
    Portrait of Victor Brauner
    Victor Brauner
    JH
    Jacques Hérold
    Portrait of Jules Perahim
    Jules Perahim
    PP
    Paul Păun
    Browse 8 artists

  6. 1920 – 2000

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    Romanian-born Abroad

    Diaspora artistică

    Born in Romania and celebrated abroad: from Saul Steinberg's New Yorker covers and Hedda Sterne among the Abstract Expressionists to Daniel Spoerri's snare-pictures and Isidore Isou's Lettrism in Paris.

    Portrait of Reuven Rubin
    Reuven Rubin
    Portrait of Hedda Sterne
    Hedda Sterne
    Portrait of Saul Steinberg
    Saul Steinberg
    Portrait of Natalia Dumitrescu
    Natalia Dumitrescu
    Portrait of Alexandre Istrati
    Alexandre Istrati
    Portrait of Isidore Isou
    Isidore Isou
    Portrait of Avigdor Arikha
    Avigdor Arikha
    Portrait of Daniel Spoerri
    Daniel Spoerri
    Browse 8 artists

  7. 1945 – 1989

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    Postwar Painting

    Pictura postbelică

    Working under (and often against) socialist realism, painters such as Baba, Țuculescu and Bernea pursued deeply personal languages rooted in tradition, folklore and spirituality.

    Portrait of Alexandru Ciucurencu
    Alexandru Ciucurencu
    Portrait of Corneliu Baba
    Corneliu Baba
    MW
    Medi Wechsler Dinu
    Portrait of Ion Țuculescu
    Ion Țuculescu
    VK
    Vasile Kazar
    Portrait of Sabin Bălașa
    Sabin Bălașa
    IN
    Ion Nicodim
    HB
    Horia Bernea
    Portrait of Ștefan Câlția
    Ștefan Câlția
    Browse 9 artists

  8. 1965 – 1990

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    Conceptual & Neo-Avant-Garde

    Arta conceptuală și neo-avangarda

    Studio-bound experiments, performance for the camera, textile and land works: an Eastern European neo-avant-garde now collected by Tate, MoMA and the Pompidou.

    IB
    Ion Bitzan
    Portrait of Geta Brătescu
    Geta Brătescu
    AC
    André Cădere
    PN
    Paul Neagu
    AL
    Ana Lupaș
    Portrait of Mihai Olos
    Mihai Olos
    IG
    Ion Grigorescu
    MP
    Marilena Preda Sânc
    Browse 8 artists

  9. 1990 – today

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    Contemporary & Cluj School

    Arta contemporană și Școala de la Cluj

    After 1989 a new generation — many trained in Cluj and around Galeria Plan B — brought Romanian painting and installation to Venice, Documenta and the world's major auction houses.

    CB
    Cornel Brudașcu
    Portrait of Dan Perjovschi
    Dan Perjovschi
    LP
    Lia Perjovschi
    MV
    Mona Vătămanu
    DV
    Dan Voinea
    IB
    Irina Botea
    BV
    Bogdan Vlăduță
    Portrait of Victor Man
    Victor Man
    AC
    Alexandra Croitoru
    AR
    Alexandru Rădvan
    CM
    Ciprian Mureșan
    MC
    Mircea Cantor
    Portrait of Adrian Ghenie
    Adrian Ghenie
    MS
    Mircea Suciu
    ȘS
    Șerban Savu
    IN
    Ioana Nemeș
    MB
    Marius Bercea
    AU
    Andra Ursuța
    Browse 18 artists

  10. 1850 – 1950

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    Photography & Architecture

    Fotografie și arhitectură

    Pioneer war photography, the night streets of Paris, interwar photojournalism and the Neo-Romanian architectural style.

    Portrait of Carol Popp de Szathmari
    Carol Popp de Szathmari
    Portrait of Ion Mincu
    Ion Mincu
    Portrait of Petre Antonescu
    Petre Antonescu
    Portrait of Duiliu Marcu
    Duiliu Marcu
    Portrait of Iosif Berman
    Iosif Berman
    Portrait of Horia Creangă
    Horia Creangă
    Portrait of Brassaï
    Brassaï
    AP
    Andrei Pandele
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